Germany’s Rheinmetall will build a gunpowder and ammunition plant in Bulgaria

SOFIA Bulgaria AP Bulgaria signed an agreement Tuesday with Germany s defense company Rheinmetall to build a gunpowder and ammunitions factory as part of Europe s efforts to improve its defenses following Russia s invasion of Ukraine The factory which will produce gunpowder millimeter artillery shells and modular charge systems will be developed as a joint venture between Rheinmetall and Bulgaria s largest state-owned arms factory VMZ Sopot The plant will create nearly high-skilled jobs making it one of the largest industrial projects in Bulgaria in latest years executives stated The German company will hold a share in the joint venture and Bulgaria will finance its participation through loans under the European SAFE mechanism After signing the agreement Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger commented that the new facility could be ready within months and start production of up to artillery shells annually European Union and NATO member Bulgaria considers the project as part of the joint efforts to strengthen defense production and supply chains Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov disclosed the agreement was a huge step forward in Bulgaria s industrial and defense capabilities Bulgaria was one of the major arms producers in the former Soviet bloc during the Cold War specializing in small arms ammunition and light armored vehicles The collapse of the Warsaw Pact led to a steep decline in the sector forcing a multitude of state-owned factories to shut down Russia s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February has brought a new momentum for Bulgaria s arms production making it an essential supplier of ammunition for Kyiv Source